


5 Times Ken Looked After Daisuke and 1 Time Daisuke Returned the Favour

by LittleTaliMagpie



Series: Hair-washing 5+1 [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: 5+1 Things, Baking, Camping, Canon Universe, Chibimon/V-Mon, Coming Out, Day At The Beach, Depression, Falling In Love, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Hair Washing, Ichijouji family (mentioned), M/M, Motomiya family, Sharing a Bath, The other Chosen are around, Valentine's Day Fluff, Wormmon - Freeform, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23645500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTaliMagpie/pseuds/LittleTaliMagpie
Summary: After a sigh and a stretch, he set about scrubbing the mud away. It took a while, Daisuke having to clean the sponge every so often, but eventually his skin was completely mud-free. Next was the part he really dreaded.“Ugh, this is gonna be such a goddamn pain…” he grumbled, running his fingers through his hair and wincing when they caught on the clumps of mud. He startled at a knock on the door. “Yeah?”“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Ken’s voice came from the other side. “Just… wanted to ask something…?”Daisuke blinked. “It can’t wait?”“...No.”“Okay.” He turned the shower off and padded over, cracking open the door. “What’s up?”Ken fidgeted, picking at his fingernails. “Well, I heard you complaining about your hair and the mud earlier and well, umm, I just wondered if maybe you’d be okay with…”“...With?” Daisuke prompted.“...With me helping.” Ken finished.Daisuke blinked. “Helping with… what? My hair?”Daisuke and Ken often end up in messy situations.Good thing Ken enjoys looking after him.
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya
Series: Hair-washing 5+1 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1734646
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40
Collections: Daiken 5+1 Challenge, Daiken Discord Server





	5 Times Ken Looked After Daisuke and 1 Time Daisuke Returned the Favour

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hair washing
> 
> I can't believe I broke 10k for the first time on this self-indulgence lmao  
> This was inspired by a tweet shared in the DaiKen server: https://twitter.com/scobesx/status/1245979318326562821?s=21
> 
> A couple of warnings:  
> \- part 5 is after some steaminess  
> \- the +1 involves a bad depressive episode
> 
> Daisuke and Ken start off in late middle school and finish as uni students
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy~

1.

“I can’t go home like this!” Ken cried, burying his face in his hands. Daisuke raised a brow.

“You’re not usually this dramatic about things. You okay, Ken?”

Ken whirled on him. “Do I _look_ okay, Daisuke?! I’m absolutely filthy! Oh, Mama’s gonna be so disappointed…” He covered his face with his hands again. 

Daisuke sighed. “If it’s that big a deal, you can clean up at my place. It’s closer anyway.” Ken peeked through his fingers, hesitating. “It’s fine, Ken. It’s partly my fault you’re in this state as well. It was my idea to play football after a rainy day.” After a moment, Ken dropped his hands and nodded. Daisuke rolled his eyes and smirked. “So dramatic.” He teased as they walked towards his apartment. Ken gave him a flat look but that only made Daisuke grin wider.

The walk back, while short, was quiet and a little awkward. Ken kept picking at the mud on his clothes while Daisuke was itching his skin where mud had dried. Playing football today had totally been a bad idea but he’d been looking forward to playing with Ken again, no teammates or friends or expectations. It wasn’t often that Ken let loose but that specific scenario was consistent. This time had been no exception; he could still remember Ken’s cocky smirks and banter, the way that always set his heart racing was a little confusing for Daisuke. He’d assumed it was because of the football thing, but it happened when they play-wrestled, or when they had sleepovers and stayed up late whispering. The moments were special but Daisuke wasn’t sure how yet.

Swinging open the door, Daisuke called out. “We’re home!”

“Oh, Daisuke! Welcome back.” His mother’s voice came from the kitchen.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” Ken added.

“Oh, Ken- _kun_ , you’re here too!” She shuffled out and paused, taking in their muddy clothes and skin. She sent Daisuke an annoyed look. “I told you not to play football today, so of course you had to drag Ken- _kun_ through the mud with you anyway.” She admonished. 

Daisuke scowled and kicked the floor. “I know, that’s why I offered to let him clean up here. It’s fine, right? Since it was _my fault_ and all.”

“Don’t get lippy with me, and don’t roll your eyes. Honestly…” She sighed before turning to Ken, who plucked at his shirt hem awkwardly. “Go ahead and wash up first, Ken- _kun_.”

“Oh, but Daisuke-”

“Just go, dude. Me sitting around all itchy is probably punishment.” He rolled his eyes again. “Besides, you’re the guest and the one who got dragged into this mess.” Ken frowned. “The sooner you wash up, the sooner I can too. ‘Kay?”

Ken sighed. “I guess… I’ll try to be quick.” As he made his way into the bathroom, Daisuke went to his bedroom and tossed their bags on his desk chair. 

Chibimon bounced up from the bed. “Welcome home!” they chirped. “Wow, that’s a lot of mud!”

Daisuke grumbled and yanked his shirt over his head, stripping off his socks and shorts and tossing them into a pile to be washed. He rummaged through his closet to find something to put on after his bath-

...Wait. Did _Ken_ have anything else to wear?

He quickly padded out, Chibimon’s confused questions falling on deaf ears. He was about to open the bathroom door when he realised Ken may have finished already, knocking instead.

“Yes?” Aha, so he was right.

“Yo, do you have anything to wear? Since your clothes got all muddy…”

An awkward laugh, muffled through the door. “I was actually just wondering that myself. I don’t think I do, since I didn’t have P.E. today.”

Daisuke cursed softly, mind racing. “I might have some clothes for you but I can’t guarantee they won’t be too short anyway, since you’re a freakin’ telephone pole.”

Even through the door, he could hear Ken’s snort. “I don’t care, as long as it’s not immodest.”

“Okay, gimme a tick and I’ll have a look!” Racing back into his room, Daisuke dug around until he found some capris and a logo tee. He hesitated before grabbing some spare underwear. _Just in case_. He hurried back to the bathroom door, knocking again.

“Okay, I found some stuff but I don’t know if they’ll fit you properly…”

The door cracked open and Ken peeked through; his dark hair somehow looked longer when it was wet. His hand snaked through the crack and Daisuke handed him the clothing. He whipped them back in and snapped the door shut. “Thanks!”

Daisuke blinked, then chuckled and headed back to his room. He was picking more mud off his arm, Chibimon “helping” with his cakey hair, when the door swung open.

“I can’t go out in this.”

Looking up, Daisuke almost choked on thin air when he saw Ken in his clothes. The capris looked almost like regular shorts, but it was the t-shirt that surprised him the most. It looked uncomfortably tight around Ken’s armpits and chest. Not to mention how it left his navel exposed.

“... Oh.”

Ken’s face was an impressive shade of scarlet. “Yes, _‘oh_ ’.” He grit out. “ _Please_ find me something else. I did say nothing ‘immodest’, didn’t I?” 

Daisuke scoffed. “Not my fault you’re all lanky and tall.” Still, he stood and went back to his closet as Ken tugged on the t-shirt. “And look on the bright side,” he sent Ken a cheeky grin. “You totally rock a crop top.” Ken threw the shirt at him, Daisuke cackling.

“Please just find me something longer!” Ken whined, arms folded across his chest and shoulders hunched.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Daisuke muttered, ignoring Ken’s glare. “Most of the stuff that might fit you is winter wear and it’s too warm for that.”

“I’ll live, it’s only a short train ride.”

Daisuke snorted. “In this heat, with how little weight you have? Yeah right, you’ll be out like a light in ten minutes, I bet five-thousand yen.” He reached right into the back of his closet, squinting in the dark. “Oh! This might work.” He came out with a rumpled light blue button-up. Running his hand over the sleeve, he offered it to Ken. “Wore it to a cousin’s wedding and it hasn’t seen the light of day since, but it was way too big on me back then so maybe it’ll fit you now.”

Ken took it gingerly, eyes widening slightly. “This feels pretty expensive…”

Daisuke shrugged. “I never wear it so you can keep it, if you want.”

“What? But it’s important…”

“Not really. It’s been stuffed in the back of my closet since last year and I hated how big it was.” He waved a hand flippantly. “I don’t even know if it can be ironed, you should probably ask my mum.”

Ken ran his hand along the collar, down the sleeve. “I’m pretty sure you can iron just about any fabric with the right know-how. I’ll go see what she has to say.” He walked out and Daisuke sighed before grabbing his own clothes and making his way into the bathroom, Chibimon giving a cheery “have fun getting clean!” while bouncing on the bed. Daisuke chuckled fondly.

Once in the wet room, clothes left on the shelf outside, he sat on the plastic stool and turned the shower on hot. After a sigh and a stretch, he set about scrubbing the mud away. It took a while, Daisuke having to clean the sponge every so often, but eventually his skin was completely mud-free. Next was the part he really dreaded.

“Ugh, this is gonna be such a goddamn pain…” he grumbled, running his fingers through his hair and wincing when they caught on the clumps of mud. He startled at a knock on the door. “Yeah?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Ken’s voice came from the other side. “Just… wanted to ask something…?”

Daisuke blinked. “It can’t wait?”

“...No.” 

“Okay.” He turned the shower off and padded over, cracking open the door. “What’s up?”

Ken fidgeted, picking at his fingernails. “Well, I heard you complaining about your hair and the mud earlier and well, umm, I just wondered if maybe you’d be okay with…”

“...With?” Daisuke prompted.

“...With me helping.” Ken finished.

Daisuke blinked. “Helping with… what? My hair?” Ken’s face was pink as he nodded, gaze averted. “Why? I mean, I don’t mind, but why would you want to?”

Ken floundered for a moment. “Well, I’m used to dealing with annoying hair problems. I always manage to make it look decent but it’s usually a state first thing in the morning.” Daisuke nodded; having seen the difference first-hand, it made sense to him. 

“Sure.” Ken’s face lit up. _Cute…_ “But uh, could you pass me a towel? I’m kinda, y’know, “immodest” right now.” Ken blushed and whipped a towel off the shelf, passing it through the door. “Thanks~” Daisuke sang. Once the towel was secured around his waist, he opened the door fully, shivering at the cool air outside. “Come on in, I hope you like it hot.”

Ken stepped in carefully, sliding the door shut and tugging at his shirt - Daisuke hadn’t even noticed he’d put the basically-a-crop-top back on. Damn, it suited him really well. Shaking that thought away, he sat back down and handed Ken the shampoo. Ken smiled at him in the mirror before placing the bottle down and reaching for the shower head.

“Gotta get your hair all wet first. Plus, maybe the hot water will help loosen the mud.” He sprayed Daisuke’s hair, fingers hesitant but gentle as they moved through Daisuke’s spikes. Daisuke couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine. _Wow_ , that felt nice. Ken frowned. “You okay? It’s not because the door was open, right?” Daisuke blinked; he’d noticed the shiver? His face suddenly felt hot.

“N-no, I’m fine!” he chirped, laughing a little. Ken hummed but went back to Daisuke’s hair. Once he deemed it damp enough, Ken put down the shower head and grabbed the shampoo bottle, squirting some into his hand. Rubbing it between his palms, he smiled at Daisuke before diving back into his unruly hair. Ken’s hands massaging his scalp was such an incredible sensation, Daisuke felt like he was floating… His eyes slid shut and he smiled. Ken was so careful, untangling knots gently and lightly rubbing his scalp. 

Oddly, Daisuke felt his eyes prickling. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone was this soft with his hair, not even himself. Ken was so thoughtful about everything he did, even this, the way he took his time and was careful not to scratch or tug. Even though he was so relaxed, Daisuke’s heart was racing. He wasn’t used to this. He didn’t typically like putting himself in such an open and vulnerable position, since it usually ended up with someone getting hurt or upset. His family had always been too rough and he’d hated when they washed his hair. He’d been washing his own for so long now. But he trusted Ken. He’d known Ken would take care of him. And he was right. He’d never felt so… so…

So… loved.

_Oh…_ Suddenly, all the weird feelings in his chest made sense.

“There, all done.” Daisuke opened his eyes blearily, floating back down to Earth. Ken placed the shower head back on its mount, the water shut off, and smiled. “What, did I almost put you to sleep?” God, that smile was gorgeous. He blinked again. Now that he’d realised his feelings, it seemed they were coming out full force. Ken’s smile became bemused. “Looks like you’re not quite awake yet. I’ll leave you to wake up and get dressed.” he teased, stepping back out into the dry side of the bathroom. 

Once the door was shut, Daisuke looked back at the mirror. He was surprised by the dopey smile and dreamy gaze that stared back. “Whoa, no wonder Ken thought I was sleepy…” He idly wondered when the weight of his realisation would hit him as he stepped out to dry off and get dressed. All decent, he scrubbed his hair with a towel as he stepped out into the living space. Ken looked up from the couch, sending him a soft smile that Daisuke couldn’t help but return.

“Finally! How long were you in there, geez?!” His sister scowled and brushed past him. “My turn!” He scowled at the closed bathroom door. _Way to ruin the moment..._

“Here you go, Ken- _kun_. One freshly-ironed shirt!” Daisuke’s mother cheered, brandishing the article of clothing. “Now you don’t have to wear that crop top. Why do you even have one of those, Daisuke?”

Daisuke blushed. “It only looks like one ‘cause it’s Ken who’s wearing it,” he grumbled. “Come on, you can change in my room.” Ken thanked Mrs. Motomiya before following Daisuke into his room. With a sigh, he lay the shirt out on the bed and reached up to tug the t-shirt off, Daisuke turning away to give him some privacy. He picked up his bag and started pulling out his homework, caught between being thankful that tomorrow was Sunday and cursing that he had to do homework at all.

A sigh from behind him told Daisuke that Ken was finished, and he turned in time to catch the shirt Ken had thrown at him. He smirked at Ken’s disappointed expression. “Gotta be less obvious than that, Ken- _chan_ ~” he teased. 

Ken’s face flushed. “Shut up.” He sauntered over and grabbed his own bag, pulling out his books. “Let’s get this homework done, before I change my mind.” Daisuke’s gaze lingered on Ken’s back. The shirt was practically a perfect fit _and_ he looked really good in it. Daisuke had been right on the money with that suggestion.Shaking himself, he scoffed before pulling out the small study table and putting his books on it before going out to grab some snacks and drinks. 

His mother caught him on the way back. “Ask Ken- _kun_ if he’d like to stay for dinner.” Daisuke nodded and asked her if he could put both their uniforms in the washing machine. “Go ahead, may as well finish cleaning the mess you made.” Daisuke glared and stalked back into the bedroom, dropping the snacks on the table with a huff.

Ken frowned. “What happened?”

“My mum reminding me that I fucked up today, again, as if I’d forgotten.” He rolled his eyes and scooped up their clothes. “We’re washing your uniform-” He ignored the knowing look in Ken’s eyes. “- and mum wants to know if you’re staying for dinner.”

Ken hummed, brushing his hair back behind his ear. “I’d have to ask Mama, don’t want her to worry. Mind if I use the phone?”

“Knock yourself out.” Daisuke drawled, shuffling into the laundry room and dumping their clothes into the machine. He thought about adding what was already in the hamper but thought better of it; he didn’t want to add another fuck-up to the list today. Setting the machine on (using the instruction sheet his mum had left for him and his sister), he went back to the living area just as Ken was finishing his call.

“Oh, Daisuke! Mama said it’s fine as long as I don’t stay too late.” 

Daisuke grinned. “Nice! You hear that, mum?”

“Yes, dear. I’m glad you could stay, Ken- _kun_.” She sent the other boy a smile. “Now you two should go back to your homework. Heavens knows, if you don’t do it now, Daisuke’ll never get it done!” She laughed as she went back to preparing dinner. Daisuke wanted to scream but stuffed the irritation down and marched back into his room. Slumping into his cushion, he heaved a great sigh and pulled one of the worksheets over. 

Ken sat opposite him, regarding him carefully. “Your mum seems to talk you down a bit.” he noted.

“”A bit”? Ha! Try all the damn time!” He snapped off a bite of his Pocky. “Can’t make one mistake around here or it’s all they ever talk about for the next week, at _least_. God, sometimes I wish they’d take two seconds to think how it feels.” He startled when Ken laid a hand on his trembling arm. When did he start shaking?

“Things go bad all the time, but things can go well too. Look at that football match on Wednesday, you scored your first hattrick. I almost lost my voice cheering you on!” Ken laughed softly. “Or last Saturday, when you got seventy-five percent on that maths test. Or the Monday before, when you figured out how to more easily help that village of Digimon rebuild after a storm.” He squeezed Daisuke’s arm gently. “People make mistakes, but they also do great things. I know how easy it is to focus on the negative. Trust me, I _know_. All I can do is remind you of your achievements. You’re doing so well, and I’m so proud of you.”

Daisuke’s throat felt tight and he struggled to swallow. When he spoke, his voice came out small. “Really? You think so?”

Ken’s smile was tinged with pain as he shuffled over to Daisuke’s side. “Absolutely.” The sheer faith in his voice broke the dam in Daisuke’s heart, overwhelming him. He’d been hurting so much but only realised to what extent now that he was breaking down, sobbing in Ken’s arms, his best friend stroking his hair and soothing him and rocking them both. Daisuke wasn’t sure what he was saying, just that he was talking. At some point, Chibimon had come over and sat in his lap, clinging to his shirt and adding to Ken’s reassurances. 

Eventually, he calmed down, sniffling and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Ken offered him a tissue, which he gratefully accepted. After blowing his nose, he glanced up at Ken and opened his mouth.

Ken cut him off. “Ah! No apologising. We all need to vent our frustrations sometimes, it’s not healthy to bottle them up. And if I can be here for you, I won’t leave until you’re okay again.” He smiled at Daisuke knowingly. The words were so familiar… “You told me that, a long time ago.” Oh. “I try to live by those words. Some days are harder than others, but I try not to beat myself up if I slip. You shouldn’t either, okay?”

Daisuke nodded and sent him a small smile. “Thanks, Ken. For supporting me.”

“Always,” Ken said firmly. “Let’s get back to the homework. Let me know if you need help with anything.”

Daisuke smiled and bent over his worksheet, Chibimon clambering up onto his shoulder. His chest felt so much lighter after venting. It had always been the other way around, with him looking after Ken. Knowing he could depend on someone, no matter what, was so relieving.

They were working on a history question when his door swung open. “Yo, it’s time for dinner.” Jun didn’t even bother waiting for a response before leaving. 

“You could at least knock!” Daisuke called after her. He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to Ken. Who was giving the empty doorway the coldest death glare he’d seen in a while.

“So inconsiderate. That’s so rude! I-!” He cut himself off, fuming silently as he began packing up his things. Daisuke stared. “What?” he asked sharply.

“You’re not usually so… obvious with your anger.”

“I’m not angry, I’m annoyed.”

Daisuke scoffed. “Same kinda feeling.” Ken rolled his eyes and went back to packing his bag. “You don’t have to get offended for me, she just-”

“Really?” Ken rounded on him. “It’s common fucking courtesy to knock before entering, and to close the door behind you. Add that to what happened before, of course I’m gonna be pissed!” Daisuke gaped. “...Okay, I actually _am_ angry. Fuck that.”

“Whoa,” Daisuke laughed incredulously. “Remind me never to get on your bad side!” Ken snorted and soon they were both laughing. “Come on, let’s go eat before they start getting on my case again.”

They had dinner, spending most of it talking about their homework and plans and generally ignoring the rest of his family. Daisuke hoped Ken wouldn’t regret it later; he knew how much it upset him to hurt others, even if they hurt or offended him first. Once they were done, Daisuke walked Ken to the door.

“Sorry again about your uniform. I can get it to you tomorrow.” Ken smiled and nodded, adjusting the strap of his school bag. They said their goodbyes, Daisuke watching Ken until he turned into the stairwell and out of sight. Closing the door, he pressed his forehead against it and sighed. How could he be missing Ken already?

His realisation came crashing down on him once he laid down to sleep later that night.

2.

Ken’s groans joined the chorus of the other Chosens’ as they all picked themselves up out of the pile they’d fallen into. Leaving the Digital World could be such a pain…

Once they were finally up and out of the pile, they made their way out of the tiny office space and into the main room of the wooden cabin. They had come here for an “extended camping trip” during Golden Week, but they’d actually been in the Digital World for most of the trip, helping out a coastal community of Child and Adult Digimon after a flood. It had been hard work, all of them covered in dirt and bruises with aching limbs. 

“Last one to the bathroom cooks dinner!” Taichi cried, darting for the door. He was caught by Yamato.

“The bathroom isn’t big enough for everyone. We should figure out an order.”

“How? There’s so many of us.” Taichi shot back.

“Split into groups and draw straws? Coin flip? Rock paper scissors?” Sora suggested, dusting off her skirt absently.

“Well, the group thing definitely sounds like a good idea,” Takeru chimed in. “The bathroom’s definitely big enough for maybe... four at a time. I think it should go by age though.”

“Well _I_ think the ladies should go first.” Mimi flicked her hair, a teasing lilt to her voice as she continued. “We need to freshen up before the gross boys get the bathroom all smelly.” Hikari and Sora giggled while a couple of the guys groaned.

“Why?” Daisuke grumbled, rolling his shoulder. “We all worked our hardest, so we should all get a chance at going first.”

“Uh, to show respect to your _senpais_ , maybe? Or, y’know, “ _ladies first_ ”?” Miyako rolled her eyes. Daisuke bristled.

Ken laid a hand on his shoulder, frowning when he tensed. “Well, they’re both fair points. I suppose a majority vote would make things a little fairer.” He smiled as Daisuke deflated. They were all exhausted but Daisuke especially had pushed himself. He’d been one of the hardest workers this week, and that he wasn’t arguing was a testament to just how tired he was.

“I agree.” Koushirou added as he snapped his laptop’s lid shut. Iori nodded and a murmur of agreement went around the group.

“I guess…” Daisuke stretched languidly, face scrunching up. “Let’s get on with it, then, since everyone agrees.” 

In the end, the group voted to let the girls go first, then split the boys by age into groups of four before drawing straws to see which group went next. The older group got the better straw. Daisuke looked like he wanted to complain but he was too tired.

“Whatever, I’m gonna start making dinner.” he drawled, tossing his straw down and wandering into the kitchen to wash his hands. “I’m pretty sure we have enough ingredients for chicken curry.”

“Don’t poison us~” Miyako joked in a sing-song, gasping in mock offense when Daisuke flipped her off. She hurried after the other three girls, all laughing amongst themselves. The other guys wandered off to their rooms or slumped onto the couch and switched on the TV. Ken hovered for a moment, uncertain.

“What’s up, Ken? Why’re you just standing there?” Ken jolted at Daisuke’s voice, suddenly aware that his best friend was standing right beside him.

“Just not sure what to do,” he admitted. “I don’t want to get comfortable cause I know I’ll fall asleep, but my feet hurt…”

“You can help me, if you like.” Daisuke suggested. Ken tilted his head. “I wanna finish prepping the curry asap so I can leave it on a low heat while we wash up.”

Ken shrugged. “If I can sit down at the table, I don’t mind.”

Daisuke grinned. “You okay with chopping onions?”

The two of them got to work, Ken grateful to be off his feet while Daisuke stood at the counter; he was cutting up the chicken and didn’t want to risk contamination. At some point, he’d joined Ken for chopping the vegetables. The potatoes, once peeled and cut up, were placed in a bowl of water to remove the starch and the carrots were left to one side. 

“How’re the onions treating you?” Daisuke asked him, smirking slightly. 

Ken glared at him through watery eyes. “Oh, they’re just _fantastic_.” he groused, wiping his eye on his sleeve. “I think they’re done, actually.” 

Daisuke leaned over to check. “Perfect!” he grinned, picking up the chopping board and carrying it over to a pot. He tipped them in, a loud sizzling erupting from within.

Ken stood to wash his hands, hiding a wince. “Anything else I can help with?”

“Yeah, the garlic needs crushing. The ginger should be grated, too. Here, use these.” He handed Ken a couple of implements. “You know how to use them, right?”

Ken scoffed. “Duh, I’m not three.”

Daisuke snickered. “Watch your fingers on the grater.”

Ken rolled his eyes and hobbled back to the table. Damn, his feet hurt… Once back in his seat, he peeled the ginger and _carefully_ grated it onto a small dish. He then crushed the garlic onto the same small plate.

Daisuke appeared over his shoulder, swiping the plate. “Thanks~” Ken threw him a mock glare, though it quickly melted away as he twisted in his seat to watch his best friend work, chin in his hand. Daisuke always made cooking look so easy, somehow more graceful in the kitchen than anywhere else. He’d just added the chicken when he noticed Ken was watching and raised an eyebrow at him. Ken just smiled, Daisuke returning it before going back to stirring the pot. 

After some time, he waltzed over and picked up the carrots from the table. “Don’t get too comfy, Sleeping Beauty.” he teased, just barely getting away from Ken’s kick. Ken’s face felt hot. Still, he couldn’t stop watching Daisuke work. He felt bad for not helping more… Daisuke glanced back, frowning. “What’re getting all mopey about?” Sometimes, it still startled Ken when Daisuke reacted to his feelings. 

“Oh, nothing really. Just…” Daisuke waited. Ken sighed. “... Just feel bad, for not helping more.”

Daisuke scoffed. “Is that all?” Ken narrowed his eyes. “Look, you can’t help that your feet hurt so much. You were always running back and forth while we were helping, more so that the rest of us, it’s to be expected.” He thought for a moment. “If you hate sitting over there and doing nothing that bad, you can bring your chair over here? I need the potatoes too, by the way.” 

Ken grabbed the potatoes and dragged his chair over to the counter, leaning on his elbows as he watched Daisuke. They chatted as the potatoes cooked, then Daisuke added some store-bought curry roux and stirred. 

“Okay, this just needs to simmer for fifteen minutes.” Daisuke wiped his forehead on his sleeve with a smile.

“Did you make any rice?” Ken asked.

Yeah, it’s in the cooker.” He gestured to the device in question. “Should be done soon. Looks like we’ll be eating before washing up.” he heaved a sigh.

“If you didn’t take so long, you could’ve washed up by now.” Another voice came. They turned to face Iori, who was already clean and had a towel draped around his neck. That meant…

“Wha- you guys went ahead without us?!” Daisuke cried. 

Takeru’s laughter floated over from the living room. “You guys were too busy, I can’t believe you didn’t notice!” 

Daisuke fumed. Ken didn’t blame him; even _he_ was pretty annoyed. With a growl, Daisuke declared, “Fine. Ken and I’ll be having the largest portion of curry and you guys can share a plate.”

Takeru gasped melodramatically. “Oh no, whatever shall we do? Such suffering, much cruel!”

“You could always cook for yourselves.” Ken suggested, tone flat, but he winked at Daisuke conspiratorially. Daisuke smirked.

“Yeah, good idea, Ken. We worked hard on this curry and that’s the thanks we get?” Daisuke’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

“In that case, I guess all this curry is ours, since no-one _else_ thought to let us know either.” Ken mused. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as a loud chorus of complaints issued from the living room. Even some from the girls’ rooms down the hall.

“WHAT?!”

“No way!”

“That’s not fair!!”

“Hmm, maybe you’ll remember that next time you think of leaving us out.” Daisuke huffed, turning back to the pot to hide his grin as the other Chosen rushed in. Ken ducked his head to hide behind his hair, trying to regain his composure. 

He took a slow breath before tossing his head back again, leaning into his palm and sighing dramatically. “Honestly, all of this could’ve been avoided with a little common courtesy.” He drawled, twisting a lock of hair around his finger. He saw Daisuke’s shoulders shaking slightly. “Right, Daisuke?”

“That’s right.” He replied seriously. The whines and complaints almost broke Ken, but it was when he caught Daisuke’s expression reflected in the window that they both finally cracked up. Daisuke’s cackles echoed through the room and Ken had to hide his rapidly heating face in his palms, chest aching from holding back his laughter. Somehow, Daisuke managed to speak through his own laughter. “Come on, you guys, did you really think we were serious?” Ken fanned himself, cheeks hot and sore from his wide grin.

“That was so rude!” Miyako complained, stomping her foot. Ken spluttered and broke down laughing again, so giddy that he was unable to contain it.

“I can’t believe you actually stomp your foot!” Daisuke wheezed, clutching his sides. “Oww, I’m getting cramps! Ahahaha!!” At this point, the other Chosen had joined in and the room was filled with cheerful laughter. After the difficult few days they’d just had, it felt nice to just relax and joke around.

Daisuke sighed lightly, having finally regained his breath. “We’re just gonna have to have our bath after dinner. This is just about ready.”

“I’ll help set the table-” Ken cut himself off with a hiss. He’d forgotten his feet were still sore and had jumped up suddenly. Damn, that hurt…

“We’ll do it,” Takeru reassured him. “Since we went ahead and bathed without you guys. Right, Iori- _kun_?” Iori nodded and the pair went to work, Takeru grabbing plates while Iori went for the cutlery. Ken floundered, feeling guilty; had they actually taken them seriously?

“I told you, Ken,” Daisuke murmured, leaning close. “We all know you worked hardest this week. This is their way of letting you relax, so try not to stress out too bad.” He patted Ken’s forearm, smile soft. Ken suddenly found it difficult to swallow, his face warming a little. “Wanna taste-test this with me?”

Ken smiled and nodded. “Of course. I bet it tastes amazing.” he said.

Daisuke chuckled. “Nah, it’s just curry. I even used store-bought roux to make the paste.”

Ken’s smile softened. “But it’ll taste amazing ‘cause it’s _you_ who cooked it,” he insisted. “Food always tastes better when it’s cooked with passion.”

Daisuke was quiet, his face flushed a soft pink. He scrubbed his hair with a shy laugh. “If you say so.” He poured a little of the sauce into a small dish and handed it to Ken. He sipped the sauce and hummed.

“I knew it,” he muttered. “It definitely tastes better than store-bought.” Glancing up, he caught Daisuke’s flustered expression before he could hide it. That flush was so sweet, it made Ken feel warm. He blinked, a little confused. _Where had_ **_that_ ** _come from?_

“Thanks…” Daisuke replied. He didn’t seem fully convinced but at least he wasn’t talking himself down. That was okay for now, though Ken planned to compliment him into submission eventually. He had to realise how good he was. Right?

\-----------------------------------

Bellies full, the Chosen all retreated to their rooms or back to the couch to relax. Ken and Daisuke went back to their own shared room to grab some fresh pajamas and towels.

“Ugh, I can’t _wait_ to get all this grime off.” Ken complained, rubbing his arm as he struggled not to limp. Daisuke stretched, grunting in agreement, as they stepped into the bathroom. Clean clothes stored, they set about stripping down and slid into the wetroom. Daisuke ran the bath while Ken showered, insisting he go first so he could rest his feet. It felt so _good_ to be clean again, especially after his hair got all greasy and stringy from having neither the time nor the energy to even rinse it while in the Digital World.

Suddenly, there were hands on his shoulders. “Ah! I wanted to wash your hair!” Daisuke cried. 

Ken blinked up at him. “Uh… why?”

“You did mine last time so I wanted to pay you back. I bet it feels nice.”

Ken blushed, shaking his head. “No, it was greasy as hell and super gross. Pretty much the opposite of “nice”.”

“So? I’m still sad that I missed my chance.” He pouted. Ken laughed and shook his head fondly. “Bath’s run, by the way. You should go soak your feet.” He squeezed Ken’s shoulders before letting go. Ken stood and stretched before hobbling over to the bathtub. He dipped his toes in and sighed. Just right. Daisuke knew him so well.

He paused when he heard Daisuke hiss. “You okay?” He asked, glancing back over. He immediately became more concerned when he saw Daisuke clutching his shoulder. He hurried back over, moving Daisuke’s hands away. “What happened?”

“Nothing, I just twinged it while we were working.” Daisuke insisted. 

Ken narrowed his eyes. “On what day?” Daisuke didn’t say anything, avoiding his gaze. “Daisuke.” A warning.

Daisuke sighed. “On the third day.” He admitted. “Stop gaping at me like that, it was fine until now.”

“Clearly it wasn’t! It was just getting more damaged cause you ignored it.” Ken chastised. He gently put pressure on it, rubbing gently. “After we’re done, you should speak to Jou- _senpai_. Until then, let me help you.” He grabbed the loofah and shower gel, freezing when Daisuke grabbed his wrist.

“No, you worked a lot too! You should rest!” He argued.

“Yes but I didn’t hurt myself. My feet are sore because I was on them so much, sure, but if you don’t rest your shoulder, it’ll only get worse.” Daisuke didn’t look convinced. “Please, Daisuke. I don’t want to see you hurting.”

Daisuke squeezed his eyes shut before slowly releasing Ken’s wrist. “Fine. But I’m totally paying you back next time!”

Ken sighed as relief washed over him. “Thank you.” Squeezing some of the soap onto the loofah, carefully scrubbing Daisuke’s arms and back, being especially gentle with his shoulder. He hesitated when he reached Daisuke’s hips. “You want me to wash everywhere for you?”

Daisuke peeked an eye open. “I can do the rest if you want. But I don’t mind either way.” He smirked playfully. “Being pampered is fun~”

Ken pulled a face at him but continued, spreading suds over his sides and chest. He decided to skip down to Daisuke’s mid-thigh, blushing furiously and avoiding looking anywhere but Daisuke’s knees. Finishing his legs quickly, he handed the loofah to his best friend. 

“You can do the more personal areas.” He mumbled. Daisuke snickered but took mercy on him, using his uninjured arm to wash the rest of himself. Meanwhile, Ken pulled the shower head down from its holder, testing the temperature. 

“All done.” Daisuke stated, tossing the loofah onto the shelf in front of the mirror. Ken glanced back and smiled, rinsing him down carefully. He chanced a peek at Daisuke’s face, surprised when he caught him staring. Daisuke’s eyes widened and he looked away with a blush. Ken swallowed and placed the shower head down. What was this sudden tension?

He snatched up the shampoo, rubbing some between his hands before burying them into Daisuke’s spikes. He’d been pleasantly surprised by how soft his best friend’s hair was the first time. If he was being honest with himself, he’d been itching to do this again, wanting to feel the soft strands between his fingers. He didn’t really understand the implications of what that meant yet and he wasn’t sure he was ready to. 

Seeing Daisuke melt under his touch again was an added bonus.

There was something unspoken and delicate between them during these moments, something Ken was afraid to give voice to lest it break. The absolute trust Daisuke showed, the way he relaxed so completely, filled Ken’s chest with some emotion he couldn’t describe. It was like bubbles swelling and popping, small bursts of _feeling_ washing over him until he was swept away by them. It was so intense, so frightening. And yet, he craved it still.

He glanced down and smiled. Daisuke’s face had gone slack as Ken worked, slipping into a light doze. He gently scraped his nails against his scalp, chuckling when Daisuke smiled. “Hey, don’t go falling asleep on me yet,” he said softly. “Gotta wash the shampoo out first.” 

Daisuke grumbled sleepily, squinting up at Ken. “S’rry, jus’ feels good…” he slurred, sitting up with a yawn. “You almost done?”

“Yep, just gotta rinse it out. Head back, please~” He sang. Daisuke obeyed, grinning up at him. Ken carded his fingers through Daisuke’s auburn hair, making sure all the suds were gone. A quick double check confirmed it. “There you go, all finished.”

Daisuke yawned widely, wincing as he stretched. “I dunno ‘bout you, but I think I’m gonna have a short soak. I’m beat.”

Ken chuckled. “Understandable.” He helped Daisuke to his feet and the two slid into the tub, giving twin sighs as the water warmed their skin and relaxed their muscles. Ken hummed softly to himself as he rubbed his feet gently. The soreness had subsided slightly but he was expecting it to worsen overnight. How many blisters did he have? He was wondering how many plasters he’d need for them when his thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt weight against his shoulder, his humming faltering.

Daisuke had slumped against him, out like a light.

Ken felt himself smile despite his exasperation. “Honestly…” he murmured. Daisuke’s weight against him was oddly comforting, and Ken leaned his head to rest against Daisuke’s, his arm wrapping around his best friend’s shoulders. His eyes slid shut and he sighed. He was so content…

He shook himself. He couldn’t fall asleep too, they could get sick! Or slip under the water! Ken prodded Daisuke, trying to wake him up to no avail.Surrendering, he pulled the plug and sat Daisuke up straight, hurrying out to grab his towel. Once it was secured around his waist, he went back to Daisuke and carefully lifted him out of the tub. Wrapping a towel around his best friend’s waist was difficult when he was trying to avoid looking to preserve Daisuke’s dignity.

Then he realised. How would he dress Daisuke?

Dropping his head with a defeated groan, he slowly led the unconscious Daisuke out of the wetroom and to their clothes. Sitting him down, he quickly dried and dressed himself before doing the same with Daisuke. Unfortunately, he must’ve jarred his injured shoulder because Daisuke awoke with a jolt and a pained hiss.

“Whu-” He blinked blearily up at Ken. “Wha happened t’ th’ bath?”

Ken smiled and pushed his auburn hair back from his forehead. “We can’t have you sleeping in the bath, Daisuke.” 

“Oh…” He was quiet for a moment. “Let’s go to bed then?”

Ken chuckled. “You need to get dressed first.” He handed Daisuke his clothes. “Let me know if you need help so you don’t strain your shoulder.” Daisuke did as he was told, slowly putting his pajamas on.

Once he was done, the two left their towels in the hamper to be washed before going home and made their way back to their room. The house was dark with only quiet conversations happening in bedrooms. 

“I didn’t realise it had got so late...” he muttered. Daisuke hummed softly, rubbing his eye. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to ask Jou- _senpai_ about your shoulder.”

“Fine by me.” Daisuke yawned. “I wanna get some fuckin’ sleep.”

Ken couldn’t help but yawn too, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Me too.”

Shuffling into their room, Ken sat down on the edge of his bed and Daisuke threw himself onto the sheets with a groan. Ken snorted. “At least get under your duvet.”

“Mmmmph, I’m comfy.”

“You won’t be when you get a cold.”

Daisuke glowered at him before sticking his tongue out. He grabbed the edge of his duvet and rolled over until he was wrapped up like a burrito. Ken couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the action, Daisuke joining in and filling the room with sleepy giggles. Ken stood and flicked off the light, crawling under his own duvet.

“Good night, Daisuke.”

“Hmm, g’night, Ken.”

Ken smiled as he drifted to sleep, glad that he could have someone to rely on and someone who also relied on him in return. That level of trust was something he’d once thought he’d never have, but here he was, sharing meals and joking around with friends. The last images in his mind before he fell asleep were of cooking and cuddles.




“Yay! The beach!” Daisuke and Miyako cheered in unison, dashing ahead of the others. They’d all been looking forward to this trip, but especially Daisuke. He loved going to the beach and he loved hanging out with his friends. What could make his day better?

Probably Ken removing his shirt - _No! Bad thoughts!_ Daisuke shook the intrusive thought from his head and turned back to look at their friends. They were setting up a little ways back, umbrellas already up and towels being laid down. Ken was on his back, knees bent up, arms spread wide, with a serene smile on his face and dark hair splayed out around his head. How could he look that gorgeous just laying there?! So unfair. 

Daisuke turned to face the horizon again, wandering over to the water’s edge and letting it wash over his feet. He’d come to terms with his crush on his best friend a while ago, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t made things difficult. His mind would wander, he’d stare too long and weird Ken out, he’d apologise and try to focus, rinse and repeat. It was starting to get in the way of their friendship and that scared him. Daisuke never wanted to lose Ken but the only other option besides avoiding him was confessing and he couldn’t do either of those things without risking their friendship. He was stuck.

Hands on his shoulders startled him from his reverie. “What’s up? Why are you just staring at the water, all gloomy?” Oh, it was Miyako. 

He shrugged. “Just got a lot on my mind.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not usually one to be so stuck in your own head. I thought that was Ken- _kun_ ’s job.” She joked. When he didn’t respond, she frowned. “Okay, seriously? What’s wrong? You don’t usually look so serious, I’m worried.” 

He regarded her for a long moment. She had already confessed to and been rejected by Ken earlier that year, so she would probably understand his worries; maybe her insight would help. But then again, she didn’t have to worry about society viewing her feelings as _abnormal_. He bit his lip, then exhaled in resignation. She wouldn’t give up if she was really that worried. He’d better just tell her the truth. Or at least, an abridged version.

“There’s someone I like,” he started slowly. “I’m pretty close to this person and I’m worried that confessing to them would make them pull away. But I can’t help being distracted around them and they’re starting to worry. I don’t want to pull away but losing them because I confessed is too painful to consider.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t know what to do…”

Miyako was quiet for so long that Daisuke started to wonder if this was a worse idea than he’d thought. Then, “How can you know she’ll pull away? Do you know her feelings?” He didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry; of course she’d assume he liked a girl. Well, that was probably for the best.

“Duh, they probably wouldn’t want to date _me_ . They’re basically the exact opposite of me: quiet, polite, smart… tactful.” _Straight…_ He sighed. 

Miyako hummed softly, staring out at the sea. The shimmering light reflected off of her glasses. “Well, they do say opposites attract. Besides, you said ‘probably’, how can you be sure if you don’t ask?” 

Daisuke lowered his gaze, then glanced back at the other Chosen. Most of them were chatting amongst themselves, except Ken, who watched them with a worried frown. Daisuke quickly turned back to the ocean. “Trust me, I know.”

“But you don’t!” she cried, surprising him. “Since when did you give up so easily? Where’s your straightforward determination? You can’t know what she-”

“I _KNOW_ I don’t know what he thinks, dammit! But he wants to be normal and this _isn’t it!!!_ ” He gripped his hair in distress. And then froze, realising what he’d just said. Slowly, he turned to face Miyako again. Her eyes were wide, jaw dropped, as she took in his outburst.

Quiet understanding bloomed in her eyes and his heart sank. “Oh.” she murmured. 

Daisuke could only laugh, a bitter taste in his mouth. “Yeah. ‘Oh’. Now do you see my problem?”

She nodded hesitantly. “I… I never would have guessed… that you were…”

“That I’m gay? Yeah, me neither. Though I think I’m probably bi, since I also find girls attractive,” He admitted with a shrug. “It’s just this one guy, really.”

She was quiet for a long time. Daisuke gazed at the horizon, his thoughts swirling. Now, he was also worried about someone else knowing his feelings. What would this bring? Would he be outed? After trying so hard to keep this a secret, had he just ruined his own life in a fit of frustration? He could feel his heart beating faster, his breaths shallower. _Calm down_ , he chastised himself. _Panicking won’t fix this..._

“It’s Ken- _kun_ , isn’t it?”

“Huh?” Thoughts grinding to a halt, he turned back to her.

“The boy you like. It’s Ken- _kun_ , right?” Daisuke felt the blood drain from his face. That was fast… She smiled. “He definitely fits the description, and it explains why you looked back there.” Oh, she’d noticed that...

Daisuke dropped his face into his hands. “I suppose it’s a miracle I kept it a secret this long…” he groaned and scrubbed his hair irritably. “Please, don’t tell anyone? _Especially_ Ken.”

Miyako looked affronted. “Who do you think I am? Of _course_ I won’t tell anyone.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “... Still, I want to help you.”

He sighed. “How?”

“Maybe I can offer you a fresh perspective?”

Daisuke laughed. “Sure, knock yourself out. I’m gonna go for a swim.” He strapped his goggles over his eyes and waded out into the water before she could reply, throwing himself forward and swimming a ways out. He sucked in a breath and dove down, fingers grazing the sand and shells. Every now and then, he came across some trash, plucking it from the sand and surfacing to take it ashore and to a trash bag. The third time he did this, someone caught his arm and stopped him from going back into the ocean.

“It’s time for lunch.” Ken’s voice was soft, his words careful as he examined Daisuke’s face. 

Daisuke plastered on a grin. “I’m just gonna go for one more swim. Save some for me?”

Ken frowned, pushing Daisuke’s damp hair back. “It’s already pretty late for lunch. I meant to catch you the second time but Miyako- _san_ wanted a word…” 

Daisuke tried not to make his sudden tension too obvious. “Oh? What about?” 

Ken noticed anyway, eyes narrowing. “I don’t know, Hawkmon distracted her before she said anything.”

Daisuke struggled not to show his relief. “Well, what time is it?”

“Almost one in the afternoon.”

Daisuke blinked in surprise. That late? “I guess I can stop to eat.”

Ken scoffed. “You _guess_ ? And you’re always telling _me_ off for skipping meals.”

Daisuke gave a cheeky grin and jogged back towards the rest of the group, Ken close on his heels. As they approached, they caught part of the ongoing conversation.

“C’mon, Miyako. He totally freaked out, we saw it. What did he say?” Taichi badgered.

“I’m telling you, it was nothing-”

“Nothing, my ass,” Takeru retorted. “You don’t react like that over nothing.”

“Guys, you shouldn’t push. She said nothing happened so leave it at that.” Jyou tried to cut in but no-one seemed to hear him.

“I promise we won’t tell a soul! What did he say? Please? We’ve been worried-”

“About who?” Daisuke asked. The whole group startled and whipped around to face him and Ken.

“Uhh, n-no-one you know, don’t worry! Ahaha…” Taichi laughed shakily. _Totally unconvincing_ …

“Hmm…” Daisuke narrowed his eyes, letting them sweat a little. “Well, whatever. I’m starved so there’d better be food left!”

The group collectively heaved a sigh as the pair sat down around the food. As he glanced at Ken, he saw the look on his face and knew he hadn’t dropped the issue. 

That was going to make tonight’s sleepover awkward.

\---------------

Daisuke groaned as he swung the door open, shuffling in and kicking off his shoes with a tired “ _we’re back_ ”. Ken placed his bag on the floor, offering his own greeting.

“Don’t worry, no-one else is home anyway.”

“How do you know?” Daisuke pointed to the entryway, devoid of any shoes besides their own, as well as the full rack of slippers. Ken squinted. “Oh. Guess I missed that.”

Daisuke snickered. “Need glasses already? I told you all that late-night studying would do your eyes in.”

Ken shoved him playfully. “No more than your equally-late-night gaming does.”

Daisuke laughed. It was so nice to just be normal with Ken. Of course, that brought back memories from the trip, of his feelings, and he desperately shoved them away. “How’s your sunburn, Snow White?”

“Shut up. It still hurts, obviously.” Ken grumbled, rolling his eyes. Daisuke chuckled, almost overwhelmed by a wave of fondness; he was so cute when he pouted… 

“I think we have some aftersun around somewhere. Lemme see if I can find it.” He shuffled into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet and peering up into the shelves. He couldn’t see the back of the top shelf, even on his tip-toes and cursed his short stature. As he was about to pull over a stool to stand on, Ken appeared behind him and reached up into the top shelf. Pulling out the aftersun, he sent a smug smirk Daisuke’s way. Daisuke glowered, annoyed at his friend’s height and also how attractive he found that; he prayed Ken thought his blush was from embarrassment. “Need any help putting it on, Bigfoot?” he drawled.

Ken snorted. “Sure, pipsqueak.” He dodged Daisuke’s swing, laughing airily. God, why was everything he did so goddamn _attractive_?! He needed to sort his feelings out soon and-- oh no.

He quickly whipped around to shut the cabinet door and hide his blush as Ken stripped off his t-shirt. He took a deep breath and shook himself; he’d volunteered to help so he couldn’t get embarrassed by Ken being shirtless in front of him. Besides, they’d seen each other in their underwear before so he had no reason to freak out! Yeah!

If only his heart would listen to reason.

He turned when Ken hissed. Wow, his shoulders were red. He hurried over to help. “Man, how did you burn _this bad_ when you were under the umbrella most of the day??”

“Fuck if I know, but it - _OW_ \- it fucking hurts!” Ken griped, reaching back to gingerly prod at his shoulders. 

Daisuke swatted his hands away. “Don’t touch them or they’ll just get really irritated. Here, I’ll help.” He was about to open the bottle when he paused. “Actually, you should probably take a cool shower first. Wash away all the dirt.” Ken grumbled as Daisuke ushered him to the wet room. “Go ahead and get showering, I’ll put the aftersun on when you’re done.” he assured. 

Once he heard the water running, he put the aftersun on the counter and shuffled back out into the living room, then his bedroom to grab some spare pajamas for Ken. The set he kept especially for him, since they were too big for Daisuke anyway. Holding them close, he closed his eyes and let himself breathe. His feelings were really getting out of hand. Maybe he _should_ tell Ken sooner rather than later, like ripping off a plaster. But if it meant losing him… Shaking himself, he stood and went back into the bathroom.

“I’ve left some clothes out here for you.” he called, placing them on the shelf beside the towels. Ken made an affirmative noise over the sound of the running water. Daisuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, grimacing. The salt water hadn’t done it any favours, that much was certain. Pushing himself up, Daisuke wandered out again, this time into the kitchen. He may as well make something for them to eat.

Ken emerged about ten minutes later, still shirtless, and mooched around him. Daisuke elbowed him with a laugh. “Nosy!”

“It smells good, I was just curious.” Ken stuck his tongue out cheekily. “What is it?”

“Just some _miso_ and _onigiri_. A quick dinner, nothing fancy.” He turned the soup pot down and washed his hands. “So, ready for some aftersun?”

Ken nodded and handed it to him. Daisuke ushered him into one of the sofas and poured some of the liquid on his hands, rubbing them together before tenderly massaging Ken’s shoulders. Ken groaned in relief, shoulders slumping as Daisuke worked. He bit his lip and forced himself to remain focussed. Once he was done, he grabbed the loose pajama shirt off the back of the sofa and placed it in Ken’s lap. 

“There you go, all done.” he sighed and stood, going back to the kitchen to wash his hands before serving dinner. Ken returned the aftersun to the bathroom and came back out to eat. He shifted uncomfortably and couldn’t lean back without hurting his shoulders. Daisuke felt pretty bad for him, but that didn’t stop him from slouching back into the cushions, chewing slowly, eyes drifting closed…

“Hey!” Ken’s sudden shout startled him and he nearly choked on his rice. “Don’t fall asleep or you could choke!”

“I nearly did, thanks to that scare!” Daisuke spluttered, coughing.

“Well, that just means I’m right.” Ken huffed.

“Fuck you,” Daisuke grumbled. “I’m gonna take a shower myself, my hair’s all crusty from the sea water.” He heaved himself to his feet and trudged towards the bathroom with a wide yawn. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

“Hey, um…” Daisuke glanced back at Ken. He shifted for a moment, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “How about I… I wanna return the favour. You helped with my back so, well…” He closed his eyes, frustration flashing across his face. Daisuke waited. “Can I wash your hair for you?” he blurted. 

Daisuke’s eyes widened. “Uh, sure? You don’t have to pay me back or whatever, but I don’t mind if you’re volunteering.” He grinned. Ken washing his hair was always an incredible experience. He was so gentle and knew just how to rub and scratch to make Daisuke melt. It didn’t help Daisuke with his feelings issue but he enjoyed it and couldn’t help but eagerly agree whenever Ken offered.

The two of them made their way into the bathroom, Ken running the bath while Daisuke stripped and washed his body. Once he was done, he set the shower head down and lay a towel across his lap before turning to call Ken over.

Except he caught Ken watching him instead.

Flustered, Ken immediately spun back around to turn off the bath water - which was pretty close to overflowing - and scurried over to stand behind Daisuke. How long had he been watching? 

Ken silently picked up the shower head and turned Daisuke’s head back to face the mirror and tipped it up slightly before spraying his hair. Daisuke was torn between watching Ken work and closing his eyes. His focussed face was so pretty…

“Close your eyes so no shampoo gets in them.” Ken said, grabbing the bottle from the floor beside him and popped open the cap. Well, that made his choice easier. Eyes sliding closed, he held his breath.

Once he felt Ken’s fingers in his hair, he couldn’t help but sigh. Ken massaged his scalp in a circular motion, moving around to get every inch of Daisuke’s hair covered in suds. Every now and then, his finger would catch on a knot and he’d tut before delicately untangling it with a murmured apology. Daisuke just hummed in response; he was so blissed out, he didn’t think he could speak properly at this point.

Ken pulled his hands away and Daisuke had to bite his tongue to stop himself from whining. “Almost done.” Ken assured, unaware that Daisuke was lamenting that very fact. The warm spray was back, rinsing away the suds and grime from his hair. Ken gently rubbed his scalp, checking to make sure all the shampoo was gone, giving Daisuke one more bout of bliss before he pulled away entirely. “There, all clean.” Daisuke gazed up at his best friend with a dopey smile, eyes heavy-lidded. Ken’s blush returned full-force and he quickly pulled away. “I’ll let you enjoy your bath.” Pushing himself up, Ken headed towards the door.

“Ken?” Daisuke waited until he looked back before smiling. “Thanks. I appreciate you looking out for me like that.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Ken said softly. “Just a gesture to show my thanks.”

Daisuke smiled. “You didn’t have to… There’s another reason, right?” Ken jolted - bingo. “Why, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Ken worried his lip. “You seemed really distracted today… Frustrated about something. And you have been for a while” Daisuke’s eyes widened. “That you haven’t come to me yet means you feel you can’t tell me about whatever’s troubling you. It… Not being able to tell what’s wrong, not being able to help… I hate it. If this is all I can do, then I’ll do it.” He looked up, expression burning with… something. Passion? “If it helps, even a little, I’ll do whatever you need me to. So please…” He lowered his gaze again, lip between his teeth once more before he took a deep breath. “Lean on me.”

Daisuke’s eyes prickled. Ken had noticed him, thought about him. He was obviously curious but wasn’t pushing like the others had with Miyako. Ken always seemed to know how to handle Daisuke’s mood, and Daisuke had never been so touched before. _Fuck, I’m so in love with you…_

“That means… so much. Thank you, Ken.” He cleared his throat, securing the towel around his waist as he stood. He crossed the room and pulled Ken into a tight hug, pressing his face into his neck. “I’m not ready to tell you what’s bothering me. Hell, I’m not ready to tell _anyone_. The only reason Miyako found out was because I said something I didn’t mean to.” He breathed deep before pulling back, hands gripping Ken’s upper arms. He smiled at the surprise on his best friend’s face. “I’ll definitely tell you one day. Hopefully soon. I just need some time. Can you wait for me?”

“Always.” God, that smile was breathtaking. “If it’s you, I don’t mind waiting.” 

Daisuke couldn’t help but hug him again, eyes squeezing shut. He felt Ken’s hands against his shoulder blades and smiled to himself. 

They stayed like that for some time, until Daisuke stepped back and cleared his throat. “You should probably go change this shirt.” He laughed a little awkwardly at the wet patches from his damp skin. “I probably won’t be out for a little while. Help yourself to some snacks and drinks, whatever you want.”

Ken nodded, a small smile on his face. “Take the time you need.” He stepped back out into the dry side of the bathroom, sliding the door closed and leaving Daisuke alone in the wet room. 

Daisuke took a deep breath before turning back to the bathtub. Dropping his towel on the plastic seat he’d used earlier, he slid into the warm water with a sigh. Staring blindly at the water’s surface, he promised himself he’d tell Ken his true feelings soon. He didn’t want to worry Ken any more than he already had.

  
  
  


4.

Ken was humming to himself as he mixed the ingredients in the bowl together. He’d been looking forward to doing this all month, probably for the first time ever since he actually wasn’t single this year. Valentine’s was okay and he still gave and received _giri choco_ , but it was definitely a couples’ day, as was White Day. So making sweets with his best friend and boyfriend was a treat in itself.

He could still barely believe it. They were _together_ now. Daisuke’s confession during their group _hatsumode_ shrine visit had startled him but he’d slowly realised exactly what Daisuke had said. At first, he’d been in disbelief, wondering if he was being pranked. That he’d somehow found out about Ken’s feelings for him and was taking advantage of that knowledge. But Ken knew Daisuke wasn’t like that, he would never do something like that to anyone. When asked, he told Ken that he was very serious. Ken was so glad he’d been able to overcome his anxiety and properly answer Daisuke.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Someone’s excited.” Daisuke’s breath was hot against Ken’s ear, his lips grazing slowly along his jaw. 

Ken breathed deeply, trying to calm his suddenly racing heart. “Of course. I finally get to give you _honmei choco_. I never thought I’d get the chance.” He lay his hands on Daisuke’s arms, felt his boyfriend smile against his cheek.

“That’s true,” he murmured. “I’m glad we didn’t get into any misunderstandings.”

“Hmm, yeah. Not quite.” It was hard to find enough words to speak coherently when Daisuke insisted on kissing his neck like that. The grazing of teeth made Ken hiss. “No marks.”

Daisuke chuckled. “I know. I’m being careful, promise.” Ken sighed, relaxing into Daisuke’s hold and tilting his head to expose more of his neck. Daisuke hummed approvingly. “Can’t help it when I know you like it this much.” 

Ken hummed, enjoying the attention for a little longer before gently tugging at Daisuke’s arms. “We’ll have plenty of time once the cake is done but it isn’t going to bake itself.” 

Daisuke huffed playfully before pulling away, checking Ken’s bowl. “Shouldn’t be too long before it can go in the oven.” He knelt down to check the cupboards for their cake tin and Ken let his gaze wander as he continued mixing. The counter was laden with ingredients, measuring cups and other utensils they’d used. In fact, the only thing missing was…

“Where’d V-mon and Wormmon go?” He asked. Daisuke glanced around before shrugging and going back to his search. Ken frowned. They’d been so excited to help with the baking but, after being told that it was a special thing for their Chosen, had ended up sitting at the counter and watching. Now though, they were nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe they went to the bedroom to play or something.” Daisuke mumbled distractedly before suddenly cheering. “Aha! Found it!” He stood and raised the cake tin triumphantly over his head.

Ken snickered. “You look like Link after opening a chest.” Daisuke pulled a face at him and Ken dissolved into giggles.

“Let’s see how you’re doing.” Daisuke reached over and carefully pulled the bowl from Ken’s hands. After checking the consistency, he nodded. “Yep, all ready. Let’s get this--”

Before he could finish that thought, a sudden cry startled them and they both looked up. V-mon tumbled down from atop the cupboard, slamming into Daisuke and knocking them both back. Ken managed to swipe the bowl before they fell.

Fell right into the leftover ingredients. 

A huge puff of white flour exploded over the two, used bowls and utensils clattering to the ground with them. 

“Dai! V-mon!” Ken cried, dropping the bowl onto the counter and crouching. “Are you two okay?” 

Daisuke groaned and rubbed the flour from his face. “I’m fine. How’re you doing, V?” 

“Guhhh… M’okay.” V-mon coughed before suddenly sneezing. “Ugh, this white stuff got all up my n-nnn-ACHOO! Nose…” Ken helped the little blue Digimon stand. 

Wormmon appeared beside him, rubbing their little claws together. “Sorry Ken- _chan_ , Daisuke- _san_. We were watching from on top of the cupboards because we couldn’t see from the counter, then V-mon lost their balance…” 

Ken smiled softly and rubbed between his partner’s antennae. “Don’t worry, as long as no-one’s hurt…” A glance at Daisuke who gave him a thumbs up. “Go wash up while we finish up here.” The digimon scurried away, V-mon rubbing their nose. Ken turned back to Daisuke. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Mostly grateful there wasn’t anything sharp or made of glass.” He pushed himself up with a grunt, Ken hovering close. “I’m okay, Ken. Just a little tumble.” Reaching out, he caressed Ken’s cheek and smiled. 

Ken sighed, leaning into the touch. “Let’s get this in the oven so we can get you cleaned up.” 

Nodding, Daisuke turned to the miraculously untouched cake batter. Greasing and lining the tray with butter and baking paper, he poured the batter in and slid it into the already-heated oven. “That should take about forty to fifty minutes. Plenty of time to wash up and work on the filling.”

After setting the timer, Daisuke let Ken lead him to the bathroom. Thankfully, V-mon was just finishing up and Ken asked him to get some clean clothes for Daisuke.

“Just leave them on the shelf with the towels.” he said, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves up along with his trousers. After removing his socks, he slid open the wet room door and stepped in. Daisuke was just rinsing the suds from his body, glancing over in confusion. Ken smiled. “Let me help with your hair.” 

Daisuke raised a brow but shrugged. “Sure, if you’re gonna insist.” 

Picking up the shampoo, Ken wet his hands before squeezing some out into his palms. He got to work, massaging Daisuke’s scalp and scrubbing gently. Glancing at the mirror, he couldn’t help but smile when he saw Daisuke’s eyes were closed, his lips curled up at the corners. Once he was sure Daisuke’s hair was flour-free, Ken scooped up the shower head and tipped Daisuke’s chin back, rinsing the suds away.

Daisuke sighed beneath him. “Have I ever told you how much I love when you wash my hair?”

Ken chuckled. “You don’t need to, you always show me.” He turned the shower off. “All done. Dry off and we can get started on the filling.” Daisuke grinned and went to do so.

Ken set about cleaning the kitchen up while he waited. Once Daisuke joined him, they checked the timer. “Ten minutes. We should probably get a move on.” 

Daisuke hummed. “The cake needs to cool before we can add the filling so there’s no mad rush. Lemme help you finish cleaning.”

The timer rang out as they were finishing up. Daisuke used a skewer to check if the cake was done; it came out clean and he set it on the side as Ken shut the oven off. Carefully opening the sides of the tin, Daisuke slid the cake out onto the wire rack to cool.

“Okay, time to get started on the cream!” He gathered the ingredients where Ken had left them out and started measuring them out. “Good thing we don’t need flour for this, huh?” He said with a wry smile

Ken snorted, holding onto the bowl so it wouldn’t tip as Daisuke dropped ingredients in. He couldn’t help but stare as Daisuke worked. He always poured his heart into making food and it always tasted so much better for it.

Daisuke glanced his way, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t know you found stirring melting chocolate so interesting.”

Ken flushed a little, sticking his tongue out. “I think you’ll find it’s the chef that I’m captivated by.” Daisuke’s eyes widened a little, a soft pink dusting his cheeks as he quickly returned to the chocolate. Ken smiled; he was so cute when he got flustered. “While I’m melting this, could you mash the butter and icing sugar together? Use this.” He handed Ken a fork and shooed him over to another bowl. “I’ve already measured all the ingredients out.”

“I feel like I’m on one of those shows with a cook as a guest.” Ken joked as he got to work. 

After a few minutes, Daisuke came over to check. “That’s good enough, you can use this spoon now.” As he beat the ingredients, Daisuke pulled the small bowl of cocoa powder and the melted chocolate over. “Lemme just add this.” 

Ken stepped back and let Daisuke work his magic. He sifted in the powder, poured in the chocolate and some milk and added a little salt before picking up where Ken had left off. Once it was smooth, he nodded to himself. “Okay, we’re ready to fill the cake!” Ken carefully brought it over and Daisuke cut it into two round halves. With a spatula, he plopped a generous amount on the bottom half, spreading it into an even coating before placing the other half back on top. Then, he spread the rest over the top before stepping back. “Okay, decorate it however you like!”

Ken blinked “Huh? You don’t want to…”

“Nah, I did a lot already. You probably have a better eye for aesthetics anyway.” he grinned and Ken couldn’t help but smile as he acquiesced. 

After carefully placing the decorations, he stepped back with a slight frown. Something was missing…

“You done?” Daisuke asked. Ken shook his head, biting his lip. “Something’s off?”

“Yeah… I can’t put my finger on what though…” he huffed, crossing his arms. Daisuke hummed thoughtfully, looking at the cake with a critical eye. 

“Maybe some more colour? There’s a lot of brown and white…”

“Oh!” Ken gasped, whipping around and pulling open the fridge. Where were they? He’d only bought them yesterday… “Aha!” He pulled out a punnet of strawberries. “How about these?”

Daisuke grinned. “Those’ll go great! Add some colour and a little tart-ness. Good idea!” Ken beamed and headed back to the counter while Daisuke grabbed a kitchen knife to cut them with. Once they were sliced, Ken dropped them carefully around the edge and middle. 

“How’s that?” he asked. Daisuke smiled and wound his arms around Ken’s waist.

“Perfect. Happy Valentine’s Day, Ken.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Ken’s temple. Ken sighed and squeezed his arms softly.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dai. I love you.” 

The cake was fantastic, somehow even more delicious than Ken had expected. 




Daisuke pressed his forehead against Ken’s, panting. He leaned down to press slow, lingering kisses against the other’s lips, his cheeks, his jaw, Ken’s groans and sighs lighting sparks in his body despite his exhaustion. He hummed and nuzzled into Ken’s neck. His body was both slick and sticky and he knew they should probably wash up, but he’d never felt so relaxed in his life and moving just wasn’t appealing to him in the slightest. Especially not when Ken scratched his scalp like that, sending tingles all the way down to his toes. Ken chuckled at Daisuke’s shivers.

Daisuke pressed a kiss beneath his ear before speaking, voice low. “So, was it everything you thought it’d be?”

“And more…” Ken sighed, squeezing his arms around Daisuke’s back. “Though I thought I’d made my pleasure _quite_ clear throughout.” 

Daisuke snickered. “Honestly, the last thing I expected was for you to be that loud. I definitely like it that way, though.”

Ken huffed, burying his face in Daisuke’s hair. “...Thank you for being so patient with me. I know you probably wanted to go faster-”

“Don’t worry about that. What matters most is that we’re _both_ having a good time.” Daisuke smiled, twirling a lock of Ken’s hair around his finger; he was _so glad_ Ken had listened to him when he’d suggested keeping it long. “Communication is important during sex. I’d hate for you to not say if you’re unhappy, so don’t hold back, ‘kay?” Ken nodded, snuggling closer, and Daisuke sighed again. He was just so… _content_.

  
  


He wasn’t sure when he’d drifted off or for how long but next thing he knew, Ken was shaking him awake with an exasperated laugh.

“Come on, Dai. As much as I’d love to just go to sleep, I’m not doing so in this state. I feel gross!”

Daisuke snorted before pushing himself up, groaning as he stretched and hissing at the cracking of joints. “God, I thought only old people made that much noise when they stretch.” He complained. Ken snickered and pushed himself up, wincing. Daisuke frowned. “You okay?”

Ken nodded. “Can’t say I wasn’t warned about the aches. Good thing we researched, huh?” He smiled wryly; even though Daisuke hated studying, he’d been very thorough with this.

“Very good thing,” Daisuke said solemnly. “I didn’t wanna risk anything bad happening. Especially since it could have hurt you.”

Ken's smile was sweet as he caressed Daisuke’s cheek. “Come on. Let’s go clean up, then we can get some rest.” 

Daisuke stood, waiting for Ken and catching him when he stumbled. He soothed Daisuke’s worries before he even voiced them and the couple grabbed some fresh pajamas before making their way to the bathroom. Storing the clothes on the shelves beside the bath towels, Daisuke opened the frosted glass sliding door and padded across the tiles. Once the bath started filling with hot water, he made his way back over to the showers where Ken was already rinsing the soap suds from his body.

“When’re you gonna let me wash _your_ hair? You’ve done mine a bunch of times.” Daisuke pouted.

Ken squeezed shampoo into his palm, staring down at it for a moment before shaking his head and spreading it over his dark locks. “Next time, promise.” Daisuke sighed and wandered back over to the bathtub to stop the water. He checked the temperature, nodding when he determined it wasn’t too hot.

“Bath’s ready for when you’re done,” he called over his shoulder. “Hope you like ‘em hot.” 

Pale arms wound around his shoulders and lips pressed against his ear. “Hmmm, sounds perfect.” Ken’s voice was silky, eliciting shivers in Daisuke. Ken kissed just below his ear before slipping past him and into the hot water with a deep sigh. “Ohh, this is _wonderful_.”

Daisuke shook himself and pushed away from the bathtub, taking his turn under the shower head. Body clean, he reached for the shampoo.

Only to grasp at thin air.

Next thing he knew, cool liquid was being massaged into his scalp, gentle rhythm dulling the surprise a little. 

Ken hummed softly behind him. “You’re always so good to me, washing your hair is my way of saying ‘thank you’.”

Daisuke sighed, shoulders slumping as he relaxed under Ken’s ministrations. “Out of everyone, you’re the nicest to me and you always support me. You’re not afraid to tell me I’m wrong but you aren’t mean about it. You don’t laugh at me when I do stupid shit. I appreciate you so much and I wanna show you that too.”

“You do, all the time. With your words, your honesty,” Ken said. “I find it hard to be straightforward like you, that’s why I prefer to give back like this. Actions speak louder than words, at least for me.” He grabbed the shower head, gently tipped Daisuke’s head back and rinsed the suds away. “There, all done.” Before he could move away, Daisuke reached up and gently pulled him down into a kiss. The angle made it a little awkward, but it seemed Ken understood anyway. 

Daisuke brushed some of Ken’s damp hair back behind his ear. “C’mon, the warm bath will probably help with your aches.” 

Sliding back into the hot water seemed to relax them both. Ken shuffled close, leaning his head against Daisuke’s shoulder with a content sigh. “Having our own place now makes things so much easier.”

Daisuke pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Yeah, living with you is like a dream. But…” Ken glanced up, blinking curiously. Daisuke shook his head and smiled. “Nah, I can think about that later. I think we should get out soon; I’m starting to worry we’ll fall asleep in here.” 

Ken continued to frown before slowly nodding. “We’ll put a pin in that thought for now. I could do with a good nap.”

They emptied the tub and dried off. Daisuke sent Ken to the bedroom while he took the dirty towels and scattered clothing and dumped them into the washing machine, yawning loudly. They could wash them in the morning.

But first, their bed was calling.

+1 

A soft knock broke the silence of the room. Still, Ken couldn’t bring himself to move. What was the point? They’d never accept him now. He was a fool for thinking they could understand his feelings for Daisuke. Why didn’t they kick him out and get it over with? Why was he still here?

“Ken- _chan_ …” Wormmon sounded so worried. He shouldn’t be. Ken didn’t think he was worth the energy. The digimon scuttled over, shaking his leg a little. “Ken- _chan_ , your mum’s worried about you.”

“No, she’s not.” His voice sounded so distant, compared to the static and the waves. He’d never wanted to go back to that wretched Ocean again but it was probably best for everyone if he did. So they wouldn’t have to deal with him.

Another knock, louder, more abrasive, more insistent. Still, Ken couldn’t move. What if it was his father? What if opening that door meant he’d be out on the street? Daisuke wasn’t back from his family trip for another day yet… right? Ken didn’t even know what day it was anymore. Time never made sense during his lowest lows.

More knocking. “For fuck sake, Ken. Open the door, please!” 

“... Daisuke…” Slowly, Ken unwound his arms from around his knees, dragging himself over to the bunk’s ladder. One rung, another, another, until his bare feet left the cold metal ladder and met soft carpet. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring blankly at the door. Another round of knocking urged him forward. Just a few steps, Daisuke was right there…

As soon as Ken turned the lock, the door swung open and a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. He froze, panic flooding him momentarily. Was this it? Was he being ousted from his family home? But then, the hands pulled him forward and he was suddenly wrapped in a tight embrace. 

“Ken! Thank goodness, you’re okay!” Daisuke pulled back, his bright grin quickly slipping away as he took in Ken’s appearance. “Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to assume. Have you eaten today? Or yesterday?” Ken shook his head mutely. For a short time, Daisuke was silent, deep in thought. He nodded to himself. “Let’s get you washed up first. Your mum’s making some food so you can eat after you’ve finished bathing.” Ken didn’t fight as Daisuke pulled him towards the bathroom. Once the water was running, he told Ken to wait and rushed back out. 

Less than a minute later, he was back with a fresh set of pajamas. “C’mon, take those off.” Ken did as he was told, sluggish fingers popping open shirt buttons. He let the shirt fall and tugged his pajama pants down, stepping out of them languidly. Daisuke directed him to sit on the plastic stool and grabbed a loofah and a bottle of shower gel, scrubbing his skin firmly but not roughly. Once the soap had been washed away and Ken’s body was sufficiently clean, Daisuke grabbed the shampoo. 

Despite his typical roughness, Daisuke’s fingers were so gentle as they massaged Ken’s scalp, cleaning away all the dirt and despair. Eyes sliding closed, Ken felt the dull static slowly subsiding. Finally, he could feel again. Even though it hurt, he knew he had to face these emotions.

Daisuke tilted Ken’s head back to rinse the suds away, startling at the tears sliding down his cheeks. “Hey, what happened?” For a second, Ken pressed his lips together. But he pushed through the resistance and let himself _feel_. Daisuke’s fingers on his cheeks were so soft...

He choked out a sob. “I told them. My parents. About us.” Daisuke’s expression slipped into a knowing frown and he pulled Ken into a hug. “I-I thought it’d be okay. After everything that happened _back then_ , I thought they’d try to understand. Maybe at least ask me to clarify. But--” He broke down, chest heaving as he cried. “Why? Why won’t they even try?!”

Daisuke rocked him, hushing him soothingly. “It’s okay. Shhh…” A gentle kiss on the cheek. “I know things didn’t turn out how you wanted right away, and I know how painful it must feel. Hell, I _felt_ some of it.” Ken sniffled, gripping tighter. “I knew something was off after that. But you weren’t answering my texts so I thought you just wanted to spend time with your parents, that they were supporting you. It was your mum who called me. She asked me to help. Said you’d suddenly holed up in your room, that you wouldn't come out. She didn’t say what had happened, just that she knew I’d probably be able to reach you. It’s been bad, right?” Ken swallowed, nodded. “I could only feel a little of what was going on through our bond, but what I felt convinced me to come home to you.” 

That’s when Ken remembered. “Wait, your family trip. You weren’t supposed to be back yet.” He felt the guilt bubbling up. “You came back early just because of me…?”

Daisuke smoothed his still-soapy hair back, smile so fond that it ached just looking at it. “Of course. You need me, so I’m here for you.” Ken felt the tears coming back in force. 

He dropped his head. “You were looking forward to that trip, though. You don’t have much time to see your family-”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s fine, really.” Ken’s shoulders shook. “Look at me?” Daisuke asked, fingers lightly grazing his jaw. Ken lifted his head and Daisuke wiped the tears away as they fell. “I promise, it’s okay. We were driving each other crazy by that point anyway; we all agreed a week is too long,” He laughed. “Besides, you’re the most important person in the world to me. I’d rather be here for you than anywhere else.” He caressed Ken’s cheek. “I love you, Ken. No matter what. We’ll figure this out somehow. Together, we can do anything.” 

Ken closed his eyes, lips curling up at the corners. Daisuke really knew what to say in times like this. “I love you too, Dai. _Thank you_.”

Daisuke smiled. “C’mon, let’s get your hair rinsed and you in the bath.” The warm spray helped Ken relax, his shoulders slowly loosening. All the times he’d done this for Daisuke had shown him how nice it could be to be looked after and now he understood why Daisuke loved it so much. All too soon, Daisuke was turning off the shower and pulling a blinking Ken to his feet. As Ken let Daisuke lead him to the bathtub, he knew his boyfriend was right. They could work this out. After all, together they could make miracles.


End file.
